smilelogicortho

While it is true that plaque can be removed with or without toothpaste, that fact is a little misleading in isolation.

The benefit of toothpaste is the topical application of fluoride. When applied topically in concentrations greater than 1000ppm, fluoride replaces a molecule in hydroxyapatite and creates fluorapatite. Fluorapatite is much more resistant to dissolution by acid. That is important because cavity-causing-bacteria in plaque gain entry into a tooth by bathing the tooth in lactic acid.

Pre-industrial skeletal remains are often seen with more teeth than we might expect.

Here are the ways you lose a tooth: 1. Trauma, like a hit to the face, that knocks a tooth out. 2. Abrasion on the biting surfaces that wears teeth down to a stub over a lifetime. 3. An infectious disease that destroys the teeth (cavities). 4. An infectious disease that destroys the supporting bone around the teeth (periodontal disease).

What we are doing wrong: 1. Not wearing mouthguards to play sports/drive cars (think about hockey players who are missing teeth). 2. Living longer means more wear (also the position of the teeth changed in a softer, post-industrial diet). 3. Fermentable carbohydrates are eaten more frequently throughout the day. Bacteria that cause cavities, like streptococcus mutans, ferment carbohydrates into lactic acid, dissolve the underlying surface of the tooth, and invade deeper into the tooth. 4. Periodontal disease typically starts to take its toll in the third decade of life. We live longer than our ancestors.

I used this to create a site for an orthodontic practice and the ease of maintaining it compared to using Wordpress has impressed me.